William Herschel explained to kids

William Herschel was a German-born British astronomer, composer and musician, who became famous for discovering Uranus, and for his many other contributions to astronomy. He was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1738, and his family moved to England when he was a child. Herschel began his career as a musician, but became interested in astronomy after building his own telescope. Herschel made many important discoveries during his lifetime. In 1781, he discovered Uranus, which was the first new planet to be found since ancient times. He also discovered two of Uranus' moons, Titania and Oberon. In 1787, Herschel discovered two more moons of Saturn, Enceladus and Mimas. He also discovered the planet Neptune, though it was later found to be too faint to be seen with the telescopes of his day. Herschel made many other important contributions to astronomy. He was the first to use a reflecting telescope, which allowed him to see much fainter objects than had been possible before. He also invented a new type of telescope, which he called a "double star" telescope. This instrument allowed him to accurately measure the distances to stars. Herschel also catalogued over 2,500 nebulae, which are clouds of gas and dust in space. Herschel was a very accomplished musician, and composed many pieces of music. He also built musical instruments, and was an excellent performer on the oboe and the viola. Herschel was a kind and generous man, who was always willing to help others. He was knighted by King George III in 1781, in recognition of his contributions to astronomy. He died in 1822, at the age of 84.